James Robert Otto (August 23, 1919 â November 7, 1993) was an American college football and college basketball coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Buena Vista CollegeâÂÂnow known as Buena Vista UniversityâÂÂin Storm Lake, Iowa from 1948 to 1952 and Mankato State CollegeâÂÂnow known as the Minnesota State University, MankatoâÂÂfrom 1953 to 1969.
A native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, Otto played football at the University of Iowa as a tackle from 1939 to 1941. Otto died from lung cancer, on November 7, 1993, at his home in Mankato, Minnesota.